Volume 1 Volume 7 Chapter 44

Volume 7 Chapter 44: The Journey Far Away (Part 3)

After Chou brought Dongfang Quan here, he bid farewell to Xu Qingfan at his gesture, his demeanor humble as always.

At this moment, Xu Qingfan was sitting cross-legged on his bed, quietly looking at Dongfang Quan with a calm expression.

Dongfang Quan kept his head down, a powerful Golden Core Stage expert, yet he seemed like a child who had done something wrong, too afraid to meet Xu Qingfan’s gaze, not even daring to look at him.

Thus, in the silence, Xu Qingfan’s cold stare and Dongfang Quan’s bowed head lingered for a long time.

At first, as Chou left, Dongfang Quan felt a sense of relief. Perhaps Xu Qingfan was stronger and more skilled, but for some reason, Dongfang Quan felt even more afraid of Chou. Maybe it was Chou’s attitude of treating life as if it were grass, or Chou’s aura of being a natural enemy to all living beings, or perhaps it was Chou’s mystery.

As for Xu Qingfan, perhaps it was because he was too familiar. Even though there were rumors that Xu Qingfan had turned to darkness, he still appeared kind, making it difficult for Dongfang Quan to feel the same fear he had toward Chou.

At least, that was how it was at first.

But after Xu Qingfan saw Dongfang Quan, he merely led him into a room, sat down quietly, and stared at him in silence.

His gaze was deep but not sharp or full of killing intent. At first, Dongfang Quan felt safe. Given Xu Qingfan’s nature, it seemed unlikely he would kill an old man who had followed him for many years.

However, gradually, Dongfang Quan began to notice that something was off.

As the silence continued, Xu Qingfan remained silently watching him without saying a word, mysterious and profound. Dongfang Quan, who initially felt relaxed, slowly began to feel an invisible pressure approaching him.

Gradually, the certainty in his heart started to waver. Was Xu Qingfan really planning to let him go while being so silent?

Once this doubt appeared, it spread uncontrollably. As the uncertainty deepened, Xu Qingfan felt increasingly mysterious to him, and Dongfang Quan sensed that the invisible pressure around him was growing stronger with time. In the end, his body began to tremble uncontrollably, feeling a pressure that was even greater than what he experienced before in front of Chou.

Mystery often causes more fear and stress than brutality and ruthlessness, just like at this moment.

Finally, Dongfang Quan could no longer bear the heavy silence and mysterious pressure. He fought against the growing panic inside him and looked up at Xu Qingfan, hoping he would say something. This silence was driving him crazy.

"Ah!"

Dongfang Quan’s body jolted, and he let out a cry, instinctively taking a few steps back.

This was because when Dongfang Quan looked up at Xu Qingfan, he saw Xu Qingfan staring intently at him with eyes that had turned pitch black, cold and emotionless. His face and the skin exposed outside his clothes were covered with strange and intricate black patterns, appearing terrifying and mysterious at first glance.

Along with Xu Qingfan’s transformation was an endless chill emanating from him, even more intense than the aura surrounding Chou.

Possessed!

At that moment, Dongfang Quan suddenly remembered that Xu Qingfan was also skilled in dark magic. Demon cultivators are heartless, with cruel minds and terrifying methods; they are undoubtedly the nightmares of cultivators.

After stepping back a few paces, Dongfang Quan trembled and looked at Xu Qingfan again, only to find in surprise that Xu Qingfan was still the familiar Xu Qingfan he knew, with a refined and calm appearance, deep and unfathomable eyes, and an aura that remained distant and mysterious. Where had the previous black eyes, black patterns, and icy coldness gone?

Illusion?

Dongfang Quan thought, yet the feeling from before was still so clear.

After experiencing stress and fear, seeing the familiar Xu Qingfan again, Dongfang Quan suddenly felt all his strength leave him, his body becoming weak. However, regarding Xu Qingfan, he no longer felt any luck, and in his heart, his defenses were easily broken down piece by piece by Xu Qingfan’s seemingly casual behavior. Unconsciously, Xu Qingfan appeared even more mysterious in his heart, and his respect for Xu Qingfan far surpassed any feelings he had towards Chou.

Dongfang Quan did not notice that Xu Qingfan looked at him with a hint of disappointment.

Since the beginning of his journey, the opponents Xu Qingfan faced were either Liu Ziqing, or cultivators from dark organizations, or heirs of the Zhong family, or Zhang Xusheng and his followers. These people were either very strong, resilient in character, or exceptionally smart. Over the years, Xu Qingfan had never encountered even a slightly weaker opponent.

This experience certainly allowed Xu Qingfan to rapidly improve in willpower, strategy, and strength while dealing with these high-level opponents. It transformed Xu Qingfan from a pawn in someone else’s game into a player himself, but it also made Xu Qingfan forget that, in fact, weak people make up the majority in the world.

In truth, Xu Qingfan thought he would need to use many techniques to subdue Dongfang Quan, but he didn’t expect that just by slightly changing the atmosphere, Dongfang Quan would completely break down. Was it that his methods had become stronger? Or was this Dongfang Quan too weak?

In any case, compared to those dark experts he had faced before, Dongfang Quan was far too weak. Yet this weak person was one of the few Xu Qingfan had valued the most earlier.

In that moment, Xu Qingfan suddenly became acutely aware of the largest gap between himself and Zhang Xusheng, Immortal Zizhen, and the patriarch of the Zhong family. His foundation was simply too shallow. Their subordinates had been carefully chosen over thousands of years, each capable of handling responsibilities independently. With these subordinates, they could handle any task flawlessly. Although Xu Qingfan’s strength had grown rapidly over the years, it resembled a nouveau riche, with subordinates of varying quality. Without a trustworthy group of followers, any well-coordinated plan would only reveal flaws everywhere.

The lack of such people does not refer to the powerful cultivators, but to the capable leaders who can stand on their own.

Counting carefully, among the cultivators under Xu Qingfan, only Wang Zegang and Bai Qingfu can be compared to the high-ranking members of the "An" organization under Zhang Xusheng. However, one of them only knows to follow plans, and the other, although focused, lacks vision and is only suitable for support. Liu Ziqing and Chou are certainly not worse than Anluo and Mingluo, as well as those other hidden followers under Zhang Xusheng, but they cannot be fully trusted. Zhang Ningmei and Shen Gang have good potential, but lack experience. As for the others, their combat power is acceptable, but they cannot be relied upon to take charge in critical moments for Xu Qingfan.

This means that even if Xu Qingfan returns to the Shenzhou Continent in the future, he will face the predicament of having insufficient personnel, as he cannot do everything by himself. It is important to note that after Xu Qingfan returns to the Shenzhou Continent, the pressure he faces will not only come from the Shura Clan.

In fact, Xu Qingfan had thought about this long ago; otherwise, he would not have sent Bai Yu to secretly observe how his cultivators performed in battle and then adjust their ranks afterward.

However, seeing Dongfang Quan in front of him, Xu Qingfan felt the gap between the two for the first time so clearly.

In fact, this was also a mistake in Xu Qingfan’s plan. The cultivators brought to the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands over the years have been those who dislike or even fear the wars in the Shenzhou Continent and are eager to find a peaceful place. Since they cannot bear the pressure of fighting the Shura Clan in the Shenzhou Continent, they naturally lack strong willpower. Those with a resilient spirit like Jin Qinghan would never consider abandoning the safety of humanity to come to the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands to survive alone.

But at this moment, Xu Qingfan, whose reputation in the Human Alliance is mixed, can only recruit such cultivators at a time when humanity faces a crisis. Furthermore, for the next step of his plan, he had to expand his strength significantly. This is also why Xu Qingfan established Tianji Camp, which has good natural talent, and repeatedly nurtured a sense of pride within it. Even if it might make the cultivators of Tianji Camp very annoying, it is still better than being fearful of battle. During this period, Xu Qingfan would find ways to incite a war between the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands and the East Sea Demon Monsters to cultivate a sense of crisis among everyone and strengthen their trust in him and their determination to return to the Shenzhou Continent with him; this is precisely why.

All these thoughts flashed by in an instant, and the next moment, Xu Qingfan suddenly spoke.

"Why?"

Dongfang Quan heard Xu Qingfan’s question and breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly replied, "Island Master, you have saved my life three times. How could I, Dongfang Quan, forget your kindness? However, when Zhang Xusheng realized you were building power outside of Jiuhua, he sent someone to capture me and placed the cruel ‘Devouring Soul Curse’ on me. I had no choice…"

"I did not ask you why you betrayed me. I only want to know why, after all these years of kindness from me, when you came to my Rainbow Spirit Island, even with the ‘Devouring Soul Curse,’ which cannot harm you from so far away, you have not explained the truth to me despite my ability to lift the curse?"

Xu Qingfan shook his head and asked again.

When Dongfang Quan heard Xu Qingfan’s words, he opened his mouth to say something but couldn’t find the words.

Xu Qingfan suddenly smiled slightly and said, "If you do not want to speak, I will speak for you. You believe that even though my strength has grown over the years, I am still no match for Zhang Xusheng. You think that following Zhang Xusheng is more promising than following me, right? So you willingly continue to be a spy for Zhang Xusheng, reporting my news to him, is that correct? You truly are not an ungrateful person."

Dongfang Quan looked ashamed and lowered his head, indicating his acceptance. But after Xu Qingfan saw through his thoughts, his body shook even more.

Xu Qingfan looked at the increasingly nervous Dongfang Quan, suddenly smiled, and asked, "So how do you think I should deal with you now?"

After hesitating for a moment, Dongfang Quan disregarded his dignity as a cultivator and knelt before Xu Qingfan.

"Please, Island Master, give me another chance. From now on, I will follow only your orders and will never betray you again."

Xu Qingfan looked at Dongfang Quan with great interest and asked, "Are you really so afraid of dying? Don’t you worry that one day, just as you expect, Zhang Xusheng will defeat me and then deal with you, the double-faced traitor?"

Dongfang Quan, as before, kept his head down and dared not answer.

Xu Qingfan suddenly smiled slightly and said, "How about this? I will give you a chance to please both sides. From now on, you will continue to be Zhang Xusheng’s spy, reporting everything that happens in my Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands to him. How does that sound?"

Dongfang Quan was taken aback and looked up at Xu Qingfan, not understanding why Xu Qingfan made such a request.

Xu Qingfan ignored Dongfang Quan’s confusion and continued talking to himself, "Over the years, there have been a total of sixteen spies in my Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, among which six are under Zhang Xusheng. I have already investigated their methods of delivering messages and the hidden codes in their letters. You will take on more work and carry messages to Zhang Xusheng on behalf of the other five."

Dongfang Quan finally understood Xu Qingfan’s meaning. The reason Xu Qingfan allowed the spies to exist before was to let them bring false information about Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands to Zhang Xusheng. Now that the strength of Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands was clear, these spies could no longer be allowed to exist. Through this operation to eliminate spies, Xu Qingfan also learned the methods they used to send messages and the hidden signs in their letters. He wanted to continue to confuse Zhang Xusheng but didn’t know how to get the false information to Zhang Xusheng.

And this method was the reason for Dongfang Quan’s continued existence.

Once Dongfang Quan realized this, he quickly said, "Master of the Island, please rest assured. From now on, every time I send a message to Zhang Xusheng, I will first consult with you."

Xu Qingfan smiled and nodded, saying, "Since that’s the case, you can go now. Just be natural on your way back. What you have done, only I and Chou know. You are still the top protector of my Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands."

As he spoke, Xu Qingfan raised his hand, and a mist of black and white suddenly entered Dongfang Quan’s body. In that instant, Dongfang Quan felt a chill in his chest, and the heaviness he had felt from the "Devouring Soul Curse" lessened greatly.

"Thank you, Island Master."

Dongfang Quan could not help but feel overjoyed and respectfully bowed to Xu Qingfan several times.

After Dongfang Quan left, the space around Xu Qingfan suddenly rippled, and in an instant, Bai Qingfu appeared beside him.

"Junior Brother Xu, are you really going to let him go? This guy is just a typical back-and-forth person. I fear he will continue to side with Zhang Xusheng in the future."

Bai Qingfu gazed at Dongfang Quan’s departing figure and said slowly.

Xu Qingfan shook his head and replied, "He is a petty person, but not a fool. After his identity was revealed, he is still of value to us, while with Zhang Xusheng, he is worthless; he knows what to do."

Bai Qingfu nodded but secretly decided to keep a watchful eye on Dongfang Quan from now on.

Xu Qingfan rubbed his temples; there had been too much to calculate lately, making his head ache. After a moment, he sighed and said, "When Wang Zegang first went to the Human Alliance, he instinctively brought back some cultivators. However, at my urging, he left some behind to gather information and news for me, cooperating with you and Wang Zegang in bringing cultivators. Now that so many spies have surfaced, it seems that the hidden forces in the Human Alliance have been controlled by Zhang Xusheng and Immortal Zizhen, turning into their pawns. We must carefully sort through the messages they have sent over the years; there may be some that they deliberately misled us with, just like what we are doing now."

Bai Qingfu nodded and said, "I understand."

After Bai Qingfu left, Xu Qingfan stood up and walked outside.

On the beach outside Yuheng Island, Dongfang Qingling was sitting quietly, watching the night tide.

Xu Qingfan sat next to Dongfang Qingling, both looking in the same direction, but with a furrowed brow and deep in thought, clearly not focused on the nighttime seaside view.

"Are you tired?"

Dongfang Qingling asked.

"A little."

Xu Qingfan nodded.

"Let’s take a break. Sometimes, thinking too much doesn’t help."

"Hmm."

Xu Qingfan nodded again, lay down on the beach next to Dongfang Qingling, and slowly closed his eyes.

Since Xu Qingfan reached the Inedia Stage, it was his first time sleeping like a regular person, rather than meditating, which only eased his body and mind’s tiredness but did nothing for the weariness in his heart.

As Xu Qingfan’s breathing became longer, Dongfang Qingling slowly turned her head, no longer looking at the sea view at night, but gazing at Xu Qingfan with a dreamy expression for the whole night.

In the dark, Xu Qingfan kept his eyes closed, his brow slightly furrowed, as if he was thinking about something even while he slept.

In the distance, Ting’er stood by the window, quietly watching the two figures lying down and sitting far away, and she stood like that all night.

…

When Xu Qingfan woke up, it was already the next afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set.

Xu Qingfan looked up and saw a small blue umbrella above him, held by Dongfang Qingling, seemingly to shield him from the bright sunlight at the beach, but most of the shade fell over Xu Qingfan.

Xu Qingfan felt a warm feeling in his heart. He stood up and smiled gently at Dongfang Qingling.

Dongfang Qingling also smiled softly at Xu Qingfan. Then, she put away her small umbrella and slowly walked towards Ting’er’s house. They did not say a word, but everything felt so familiar and natural.

Xu Qingfan watched Dongfang Qingling gradually walk away, and a sigh flashed in his eyes.

He never thought that as one of the best cultivators in the world, he would one day sleep like an ordinary person, with his senses closed and without any worries.

Is it because Dongfang Qingling is beside him?

Xu Qingfan shook his head but turned to walk toward his own house.

However, this sleep really eased a lot of the tiredness he had carried in his heart for many years.

…

Three days later.

"Ding… ding… ding…"

From the direction of Clear Heart Hall on Tianshu Island, a series of melodious bell chimes suddenly echoed. The cultivators of Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands looked up in surprise and turned their gazes toward Clear Heart Hall. This was the bell sound that Xu Qingfan had ordered to gather all the cultivators of Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. Generally, this bell is only heard during Xu Qingfan’s sermons and internal competitions among the cultivators, but now, it was not the time for sermons or contests.

After witnessing Xu Qingfan’s power in that great battle, the cultivators of Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands greatly admired him. Upon hearing the bell, they all put down their tasks and hurried toward Clear Heart Hall.

Over the years, as the number of cultivators in Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands increased, Clear Heart Hall, as one of the symbols of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, has undergone three expansions. However, when all the qualified cultivators arrived at Clear Heart Hall, it was still overcrowded. Those who did not qualify to enter sat outside, surrounding Clear Heart Hall completely.

Inside Clear Heart Hall, on the high platform, Xu Qingfan sat in the center. Behind him were his disciples: Ting’er, Zhang Ningmei, Bai Yu, Tian Zhenxian, Tian Zhenling, and Chou Qi. The deputy Island Master, Liu Ziqing, sat beside Xu Qingfan. Below, there were four Grand Elders: Wang Zegang, Dongfang Qingling, Bai Qingfu, and Zhang Yi, as well as five protectors, including Dongfang Quan, and twelve worshippers, such as Old Beggar Scholar Beihai, sitting on both sides.

Below the high platform sat the managers of the Seven Star Camp and twelve guards including Wang Yuxian, forming a circle. Behind them were cultivators from Seven Star Camp and representatives of lower-tier cultivators. In total, there were nearly five hundred people.

These people represented the entire strength of Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. Although there were still over a thousand lower-tier cultivators outside Clear Heart Hall, it did not affect the overall situation.

Once everyone had gathered, Xu Qingfan slowly stood up and looked around at all the cultivators present. Then he raised his voice and said, "I have called you here today for four matters."

Xu Qingfan’s voice was soft, but even the cultivators sitting at the very edge outside Clear Heart Hall could hear him clearly.

"The first thing is that three days ago, I fought a great battle against the East Sea Demon Monster. I, the Rainbow Spirit of the Seven Islands, faced countless powerful demon beasts, including six heavenly level demon beasts. We achieved a great victory and collected countless treasures. Here, I will reward everyone based on their performance in the battle."

As he spoke, Xu Qingfan nodded to Shen Gang behind him. Shen Gang stepped forward at Xu Qingfan’s signal and announced loudly, "The rewards are as follows: the one with the greatest contributions will receive two ‘Immortal Ascending Pills’ and a rare treasure that gathers spirit energy. The next contributor will receive one ‘Gathering Energy Pill,’ and rewards will be given based on cultivation level with one Earth level or higher magical tool for those above that level. The one with the next contributions will receive one ‘Gathering Energy Pill’… The specific names are as follows: the top contributors are all cultivators from Tianji Camp, all cultivators from Yaoguang Camp, and Senior Old Beggar. The next contributors are Immortal Guan from Tianshu Camp… Additionally, rewards for Taoist friends above the protector level will be calculated separately."

As Shen Gang’s voice rang out, the cultivators in the crowd appeared calm on the surface, but inside they were all astonished.

Although this battle collected countless treasures from the numerous demon beast corpses, and the cultivators already knew from Shen Gang that rewards would be given based on contributions, they never expected the rewards to be so generous. Just the "Immortal Ascending Pills" alone were over a hundred, while the rare treasures that gather spirit energy are extremely hard to find. With these two items, the top contributors would undoubtedly enhance their cultivation levels soon. In comparison, the rewards for the next and third contributors, while still generous, would be far less impressive.

What is the most pressing desire of a cultivator? It is to significantly increase their strength before their lifespan runs out. Previously, when these cultivators were in the Human Alliance, the rewards after each battle were merely symbolic, and the truly rare treasures were given to those considered geniuses in their eyes. However, in the years that the cultivators have come to the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, aside from those selected by Xu Qingfan and the twelve protectors, they hardly fit the description of genius. After arriving at the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, they have received top-quality spiritual pills, even the legendary "Immortal Ascending Pills," to boost their strength. They thought this was the limit, but they never expected Xu Qingfan to generously reward so many for their battle achievements.

It should be noted that these rewards, combined, are likely to consume half of the various treasures collected from the corpses of the demon beasts.

These cultivators may not have exceptional talent, and it’s true that spiritual pills become useless after they reach the Golden Core Stage, but if there were endless supplies of spiritual pills, combined with the rich Spirit Qi of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, cultivators who originally could not break through to the Condensed Core Stage could achieve that, and those who could reach the Condensed Core Stage would have a greater chance of reaching the Golden Core Stage…

In that moment, everyone regretted why they had not put in more effort during the demon beast attack. Now they could only watch enviously as others received rewards, while those who received the top prizes felt an immense gratitude towards Xu Qingfan and an overwhelming sense of pride.

In an instant, the fighting spirit, long hidden in everyone’s hearts, ignited fiercely.

Xu Qingfan looked at the eyes of the crowd and smiled slightly. He wanted to spark their fighting spirit and turn these people, who wished to avoid battle, into a strong group of cultivators who lived by fighting.

However, all of this was still not enough. Although the rewards made people envious, they would only last for a short time.

After Shen Gang finished announcing, Xu Qingfan began to share his second decision.

"My second decision is that, starting today, Tianji Camp and Yaoguang Camp will split from Seven Star Camp to form Tianzuo Camp and Tianyou Camp, becoming the main fighting force of my Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. Additionally, based on the performance of each taoist friend in this battle, I have selected thirty calm and steady individuals to form Tianxin Camp, responsible for assisting me and the other protecting elders in managing the daily affairs of Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands and evaluating rewards and punishments. Tianzuo Camp, Tianyou Camp, and Tianxin Camp will be the Inner Three Camps of my Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, while the other five camps will also send some cultivators to rebuild Seven Star Camp, which will be the Outer Seven Camps, handling patrols, defenses, and assisting the Inner Three Camps. The daily offerings for the Inner Three Camps will be three times that of the Outer Seven Camps, and they will have the privilege to have seniors like Old Beggar tailor-make magical tools. I must clarify that the members of the Inner Three Camps are not fixed. If your strength and battle achievements reach a certain level, or if your mental and command abilities pass evaluation, you can be promoted to the Inner Three Camps, enjoying their offerings and practicing their unique cultivation methods. However, if Inner Three Camps cultivators become lazy, they will be demoted to the Outer Seven Camps."

With Xu Qingfan’s words, there was yet another uproar.

Xu Qingfan smiled slightly. The incentive mechanism and differences in treatment, commonly used in ordinary armies, seemed just as effective among cultivators.

This time, Xu Qingfan specifically formed Tianxin Camp with those calm and stable cultivators provided by Bai Yu, starting to train capable individuals to stand on their own.

However, Xu Qingfan’s even more important decision had not yet been revealed.

"As everyone saw in the battle three days ago, apart from Tianji Camp and Yaoguang Camp, the other five camps of cultivators, aside from controlling the formations for defense, were powerless to resist. It is true that my Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands is far from the chaos of Shenzhou Continent, but that does not mean we are safe. Not to mention that after Shura Clan discovers our existence, they will definitely gather to attack us, and the numerous demon beasts in the East Sea are as dangerous as Shura Clan. Therefore, my third decision is that, starting today, the Outer Seven Camps, under the coordination of Tianzuo Camp, Tianyou Camp, and the arrangement of Tianxin Camp, will regularly leave the island and venture deep into the East Sea for training. Half of the East Sea Demon Monsters they kill, as well as treasures from their bodies, can be kept by them. They can ask seniors like Old Beggar and Scholar Beihai to refine magical pills and tools. During this period, the achievements will be calculated and recorded by Tianxin Camp, and when they reach a certain level, the cultivators from the Outer Seven Camps can enter the Inner Three Camps."

There was another uproar. The East Sea has endless resources, but they have not been used for thousands of years. This time, Xu Qingfan was determined to become a pirate and, at the same time, wanted to use the opportunity to train his followers in combat experience and bravery.

Although the resources of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands are abundant, they still cannot compare to the Human Alliance’s years of accumulated wealth. The reason it seems that the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands are much wealthier is that the number of cultivators in the Human Alliance is hundreds of times greater than that of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. Xu Qingfan, in his eagerness for quick success, had not considered long-term goals or savings. However, for future development, Xu Qingfan had to set his sights on the East Sea.

With Xu Qingfan’s three consecutive commands, all the cultivators became excited. They would rise to the Inner Three Camps, gaining higher offerings and better cultivation methods. The quick increase in strength seemed just around the corner, and with the cooperation of Tianzuo Camp and Tianyou Camp, they were not afraid of any dangerous encounters…

In an instant, every cultivator was filled with eagerness.

In fact, most of Xu Qingfan’s decisions were really prepared for the future. According to Xu Qingfan’s plan, the Zhong family would be destroyed in six months. By that time, the number of cultivators who would join the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands would surely increase, and their quality would far exceed that of the current Outer Seven Camps cultivators. Xu Qingfan’s system would allow them to form combat power more quickly and integrate into the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, increasing their sense of belonging. Based on Xu Qingfan’s observations over the years, all the elite figures of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands had already entered the Inner Three Camps, and to be honest, the Outer Seven Camps cultivators had reached their limits. In the future, they would only be there to strengthen the momentum and increase Xu Qingfan’s influence when he returned to the Human Alliance.

However, it is always good to have a glimmer of hope.

Xu Qingfan ignored the whispers of the crowd and directly began to announce the fourth command.

The Tianxin Camp would be jointly overseen by Shen Gang and Zhang Ningmei; one would be in charge and the other would supervise. After all, the Tianxin Camp would now serve as the command center of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, holding great power that must be limited and controlled. Bai Yu would lead the Tianzuo Camp, assisted by Tian Zhenxian and Tian Zhenling, while the Tianyou Camp would be led by Chou Wei, supported by Shier Daluo and Huangquan Baigui. The Seven Star Camp would still be controlled by Wang Zegang and five protectors. Meanwhile, Dongfang Quan, who originally controlled the Tianzuo Camp, had now become the head of the newly formed weakest Yaoguang Camp, stripped of most of his power, yet apart from a few concerned individuals, no one seemed to care.

Then, Xu Qingfan began to announce the fifth decision.

"Not long ago, Wang Bo, Huang Xuan, Niu Meng, and thirteen other Taoist friends disappeared at the same time. It is likely that everyone has been feeling puzzled these days."

After hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, everyone quickly fell silent, all of them watching Xu Qingfan, waiting for his reply. The disappearance of these people over the past three days had already sparked much discussion and speculation among the cultivators of Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, and judging by Xu Qingfan’s tone, it seemed that their disappearance might be related to him.

"In fact, these people were taken away by my order because they are spies for Zhang Xusheng and the Zhong family. According to the interrogation, Zhang Xusheng covets the resources and power of our Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands and has already prepared to bring the war from Shenzhou Continent to our doorstep."

Xu Qingfan’s words were calm, but the shock to the cultivators was much greater than that of the previous four decisions. Over the years, these cultivators have developed a sense of belonging to Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. How could Zhang Xusheng and the Zhong family want to destroy this paradise?

No one knew that Xu Qingfan secretly wanted to return to Shenzhou Continent, so no one doubted the truth of his words. Immediately, some impatient individuals began to angrily curse Zhang Xusheng and the Zhong family.

Xu Qingfan’s face was calm, but the immense pressure he emitted gradually made everyone quiet down, all of them looking towards Xu Qingfan.

"When Taoist Friend Wang Zegang and Taoist Friend Bai Qingfu brought everyone to Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, they mentioned that it was a paradise, rich in resources and suitable for cultivation, unlike the chaos of Shenzhou Continent. Over the past ten years, everyone should have realized that our Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands is indeed like this. Although we have never participated in those disputes, the battle with the East Sea Demon Monster three days ago has proven our strength. In the future, we will be even stronger! If anyone has ideas about us, whether it is the Zhong family or Zhang Xusheng, we are not afraid of them!"

After hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, the cultivators felt a jolt and thought, ‘That’s right! We defeated six heavenly-level demon beasts and countless demon beasts when they attacked, so why should we be afraid of the Zhong family and Zhang Xusheng? Even if our power is lower than theirs, they definitely wouldn’t dare to attack us recklessly.’

"Zhang Xusheng is part of the Human Alliance, and we cannot take action against him right now. However, the Zhong family is close to the East Sea, and their actions clearly have other intentions. But we are not afraid of them. With our strength, we might even find out who will be defeated!"

"Exactly!"

"If he annoys us again, we will go to the Zhong family’s gathering place to teach them a lesson. We have the Island Master, Young Master Chou, Deputy Island Master, and Elder Wang Zegang—four grandmasters! How can we not win against the Zhong family’s ancestor?"

Under Xu Qingfan’s prior arrangement, everyone became very angry. However, some words were indeed too false. The Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands do have four grandmaster-level experts, but they are still a level below the Zhong family’s ancestor. Even if they joined forces, how could they possibly be the opponent of the Zhong family’s ancestor? Not to mention the seven extraordinary corpses under the ancestor’s command.

In fact, Xu Qingfan never thought of confronting the Zhong family with strength.

Xu Qingfan looked around and found that under his careful arrangement, many cultivators were stirred up, ready to attack the Zhong family. But there were also many cultivators who remained calm and were not influenced; cultivators are not as easy to control as ordinary people.

However, Xu Qingfan did not care. All he needed was a reason to attack the Zhong family in six months, to plant seeds of resentment against the Zhong family in the hearts of these cultivators. That was enough.

…

Amidst the discussions of many cultivators, the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands conference finally came to an end.

After all the cultivators from the ten inner and outer camps, along with other lower-level cultivators, left, only the high-level cultivators above the law protectors remained in the Clear Heart Hall.

"Senior Old Beggar, have the various formations and mechanisms outside the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands started to be repaired?"

Xu Qingfan turned to ask.

Old Beggar nodded and replied, "We have already begun gathering materials. Many traps, mazes, and smaller formations around the battlefield were destroyed. The ‘Sunglow Formation’ and the ‘Disaster Cloud Formation’ have also been mostly damaged. To fully restore them will take at least two to three months."

Xu Qingfan nodded and smiled, saying, "There’s no need to rush, senior. I estimate that those demon beasts won’t be coming back anytime soon, but… the escaping Azure Dragon is a hidden danger."

While saying this, Xu Qingfan turned to Liu Ziqing and Chou and asked, "You are in charge of chasing the Azure Dragon, are you ready?"

"I’m ready."

Liu Ziqing had quietly watched Xu Qingfan’s performance until now; hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, his eyes sparkled, and he laughed heartily.

"We can act at any time."

Chou bowed and replied.

Xu Qingfan thought for a moment and said, "Since that’s the case, let’s start the hunt tomorrow. It’s better to do such things sooner rather than later."

"Yes."

Liu Ziqing and Chou both replied.

…

A day later, Xu Qingfan personally saw Chou and Liu Ziqing off at Billow Cliff. Watching their departing figures, he suddenly smiled slightly.

Xu Qingfan was not sure he could control these two before completely dealing with the Zhong family. However, before entering the Azure Crystal Treasure House, he had to return to the Shenzhou Continent to stabilize the situation of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, and it was necessary to send the two of them away.

The day after Liu Ziqing and Chou left, Xu Qingfan announced to everyone that he was entering seclusion for a period of three to five months.

Three days later, Xu Qingfan returned alone to the Shenzhou Continent.

Seven days later, Xu Qingfan arrived in Cangzhou State.

Cangzhou State, close to the Southern Wasteland, is famous for the Battle of Good and Evil that happened ten thousand years ago and the Black Emperor Cliff, where humans fought against the Shura Clan forty years ago.

At the same time, the terrifying "Spirit Eater," which shocked the world, is also sealed here.